Governor Dunleavy takes steps to address Alaska’s hospital strain

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTVF) - As Alaska continues to see a surge in COVID cases, Governor Mike Dunleavy announced steps his administration will take to relieve pressure on the state’s hospitals.

At a press conference Thursday, the governor outlined his plan, which involves expediting the process for licensed healthcare workers to undergo background checks and be placed in facilities.

His plan also involves increasing staffing levels in Alaska’s health care facilities, and acquiring additional medical supplies.

Dunleavy says that if you’re in need of medical care in the coming weeks, your wait time may be longer than normal. “It could be considerable compared to the wait time you’ve had in the past. You’re also dealing once again with healthcare workers who are working tremendous hours, sometimes seven days at a time, and so they too are getting fatigued. So, as you can see, what is happening with the hospitals is we’ve got some pressure on them.”

The governor urged Alaskans to talk with their physicians about getting a vaccine, saying the vast majority of the people being hospitalized with COVID-19 right now are unvaccinated.